Monday, December 31, 2007

I'm saying it a few hours early, because no way I'm making it 'til midnight. I'm planning to be asleep long before then, because there's snow and a mountain waiting for me tomorrow.

Also, aren't you supposed to begin the year as you want to go on? For someone like me, who REALLY loves her 7-8 uninterrupted hours and doesn't get them nearly as often as she'd like (it's the uninterrupted part I have trouble with, and yes, IT'S MY KIDS' FAULT) blissful sleep seems like the prefect way to begin the year.

But I'm debating whether I should make resolutions. Not that they haven't worked out for me in the past. I've only kept one, mind you, in 1991, but that turned into my first book, JOURNEY HOME, so it was a pretty good one.

Usually I don't bother. No point in resolving to eat well/exercise/etc., because I resolve to eat well every single morning of my life. (I'm not confessing how seldom it works.) And I'm pretty happy with my exercise regimen; a long walk every morning in the fresh air in my beautiful neighborhood with a dog I adore, and two pilates classes a week with a bunch of women I enjoy. Good enough for me, a determined sweat-avoider.

I could resolve to write, but I make that resolution every week day morning, too. No difference on Jan 1.

So I think I'm going to resolve things that will make me happy. Happy is good.

I'm going to read at least one book a month purely for fun. Not a spot of research or idea-searching allowed.

I'm going to go on one trip with my ten year old alone. It might be a short one, but we did this for the first time this year and I adored it.

I'm going to pick a day a week and call a friend. I really like my friends, but sometimes, caught up in the frantic everyday pace, a long time slips by without my talking to them. I miss them.

Once a week, I get to try a new recipe. I realize this doesn't fall under "fun" for many of you, but I love cookbooks. Be happy to share any particularly successful ones, if any of you are interested.

How about you. Oh, I'd love to hear the resolutions you make, but not just the "improve yourself" ones. I want to hear the "improve your life" ones, the ones you're going to do because they're going to make you happy. And how are you planning to "begin as you intend to go on?"

9 comments:

I'm going to start looking toward bliss this year. Reevaluating what I do and why I do it. Giving myself permission not to do lots of things. Especially things for other people simply because it's "easier" for me to do it than say no or explain how they can do it for themselves or because I don't want to look like the bad guy.

Hubby will be estatic because he's long thought I take on too much from outside my bliss. (g)

I'm still working on resolutions. I hate making them because I hate myself worse when I don't keep them. I need to lose weight and to do that I need to exercise more and to do that I have to have my foot operated on and I have an evaluation appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on January 21. I'm hoping by then he'll still have February openings for surgery. That's resolution #1 -- get foot fixed and rehabbed and walk at least 30 minutes every day at a fast pace.

Playground-- walking is good indeed. That's one of my resolutions: to get back to walking miles each day I can.

Suz. . . I love the idea of going on a trip with a child. . . for me it will have to be a grand. And only one is old enough to be away from home for an entire day. He's four. but I'm thinking about instituting a new tradition: Travel with Grammie.

Other resolutions: see the kids and grands more. . . start each day with gratitude deluxe. . . look for the good in every situation, for the possibilities instead of the liabilities. . . get some zippy RED eye glasses(always wanted some). . . try a new hair style. . . make career decisions without fear or regret. . . get out of the house and away from the computer more. . . volunteer more. . . and share the good in my life and heart with others.

Happy New Year to one and all! May your new year be filled with peace and grace and with the realization that your mind is one of the most powerful things in the universe. Tie it to the compassion of your heart and use it wisely.

Vacationing alone with one child!! Fantastic idea, Suzie. I've been doing that for years...until one got married...fftt. But I still do it whenever possible. So good to have them to myself.

My goal for the year is to let myself be happy. Sometimes it's so easy to fall into a rut, to just let things take you where they will and become resolved to whatever. I want to take some chances even if they're bad ideas. Do some things. See some life. There's got to be a trade-off for the kids being grown and I've decided it's independence. I'm going to use some of that this year.

I've vacationed with each son alone a time or two and it's great fun. Son 2 and I went to Palm Springs a few years back and it rained cats and dogs, but we still had fun. We had a "couples" massage that he loved and he was so little that the masseuse probably went over his body fourteen times in the alotted minutes.

I'm going to look for fresh approaches this year. Tried isn't always true. It might have been true years ago, but nowadays, maybe not so much. When stuff isn't working I'm going to get up the nerve to seek something fresh and give it a shot.

Oh Betina, you're a Grammie too! I'm Grammy, but my granddaughter is only 18 months old and too young yet for just-her-and-me trips. But I love that idea. Even if it's not just me and her, I want to be the one to take her to Disney World and see her eyes light up when she first spies Cinderella's castle. And for about $200 bucks, you can turn your little one into a princess at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique -- hairstyle, make-up and nails appropriate to a little girl, a tiara, a princess costume and accessories and photos. What Grammy can refuse that opportunity?

I regret not having taken trips alone with my boys (except for their college orientation). But the DH and I want to make up for it and do family vacations with all of us plus spouses and kids. We're looking at a mountain trip this spring.

And my sister and I started a tradition a few years ago. Instead of Christmas gifts to each other, we do a girls' road trip each year. 2007 was a 4-day cruise to Cozumel. For 2008 we're looking at maybe a couple days in Vegas or Branson, or maybe another cruise only longer and to a nicer destination.

Marilyn, I love the idea of a trip with my sister! I'm putting that on my list of fresh ideas right now. We could even do sisters and daughters. But I think just sisters to begin with. We've never done anything like that, and it's about time.